Dave McGinnis tickled for TCU, Fiesta Bowl

by Dan Bickley - Jan. 2, 2010 06:33 PMThe Arizona Republic

Welcome folks, and howdy y'all. Your tour guide for today's prairie romp through Texas Christian football is Dave McGinnis. Have a good time.

"First of all, growing up in Texas, you know what a horned frog is," McGinnis said. "They look like miniature dinosaurs. They're really scary to look at it. But you want them in your yard. They eat all the fire ants and red ants. And they scare the hell out of you. When you grab them, one of their defense mechanisms is to shoot blood through their eyes.

"I can't even use a calculator to count the amount of horned frogs I caught growing up. One time, Texas Tech was doing a research project, and you could sell them horned frogs for a dollar a pound or something like that."

Young David would have to wait to coach football before amassing his fortune.

"The nickname is very unique," McGinnis said. "Everyone who goes to school at TCU takes great pride in it. There are Broncos and Lions and Tigers and Bears all over the place. Who else is a Horned Frog?"

McGinnis was a three-year starter for TCU, graduating in 1973. Back then, the Horned Frogs played in the Southwest Conference, and were in the midst of a little drought. They didn't win a conference title for over three decades. But they never backed down from a fight, and never turned down a good road trip.

"My first game ever was at Purdue, and I had never seen a cross block in my life," McGinnis said. "I go running downfield on that kickoff, and the whole thing just opened up. I'm thinking, 'I am really something. I am screaming downfield so fast they can't even see me.'

"And then I was cross blocked. Some guy from Purdue ear-holed me, and I woke up on the plane on the way home. The flight attendant tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Son, you OK?' "

TCU is a small private school, on a scenic campus right up the road from Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, and the football team is like the tiny brother who grew up in a rugged family. From the Cowboys to the Longhorns to the Aggies and Red Raiders, the competition for football loyalty is fierce in Texas. But there's a charm to TCU that's hard to miss.

"Fort Worth is just 30 miles from Dallas, but it's an entirely different place," McGinnis said. "There's a lot of cosmopolitan stuff happening, but it's a good ol' boy town. People feel comfortable there. And that's the thing about TCU. Once you're in there, it's like you know everybody in the whole school. You can draw up some lifelong friendships in a place like that."

When the scandal-stained SWC was dissolved in 1996, TCU was left in the cold. All the big brothers and rivals - Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor - went off and helped form the Big 12. The Horned Frogs joined the Western Athletic Conference, then Conference USA, and now play in the Mountain West.

And yet things began to change under former head coach Dennis Franchione, running back LaDainian Tomlinson and a team that beat Southern California in the 1998 Sun Bowl. Now, Gary Patterson has mentored an unbeaten team that will battle Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Some believe the 12-0 Horned Frogs deserved better, but as you can see, everybody is having a great time.

"I've got a roommate who has 41 rooms at the Westin, and he's got a bus that would befit a rock star," McGinnis said. "There will be Frogs inside my house and there will be Frogs in my pool. It's neat because I'd like to think I played a small part in the creation of that (University of Phoenix) stadium. Now, I didn't get anything out of that, but at least I've got the Frogs in town. Oh, and one other thing . . . "

Please.

"I don't know what Dirk (Koetter) is going to say about Boise State. But make sure you say Coach Mac is damn proud of those Frogs."